N-deal in limbo, but full steam ahead on defence agreements

12 May 2008, 0011 hrs IST,Rajat Pandit,TNN

Delhi: The death knell may have been sounded for the Indo-US nuclear deal, with the equally contentious Logistics Support Agreement (LSA) already in cold storage, but both New Delhi and Washington are moving forward to ink two other crucial defence pacts. India has already forwarded its "detailed counter-draft" for the End-Use Verification Agreement (EUVA) to US, while the one for the Communication Interoperability and Security Memorandum of Agreement (CISMoA) will be sent within a month. "Both countries are eager to sign these two agreements as early as possible," said a government source on Sunday. The urgency to push through the two pacts is being shown because India is cranking up its defence procurements from US. After last year’s acquisition of large amphibious warship USS Trenton or INS Jalashwa for $49 million, for instance, India is now slated to induct six C-130J ‘Super Hercules’ aircraft under a $962.45 million deal. Moreover, India is also now in the final stages of clinching the around $2 billion contract for six Boeing P-8i long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft, with anti-submarine warfare capabilities. Then, there is the gigantic $10.4 billion project to procure 126 multi-role combat fighters for IAF, with US government aggressively hawking F/A-18 "Super Hornets" (Boeing) and F-16 "Falcons" (Lockheed Martin) for the deal. "We don’t have problems with safeguards when sensitive technology is being transferred to us, but we don’t want anything intrusive and unnecessary," said the source. India has an "unblemished" record in handling technology imported from abroad, without "third-party leakages" or "breaches of intellectual property rights", he added. Consequently, New Delhi has told Washington it does not want "on-site inspection" and "physical verification" under EUVA by American personnel of weapon systems and platforms bought from US. "We don’t think it’s necessary. There are also practical difficulties in producing systems for physical verification at the drop of a hat. Our counter-draft says we can give guarantees and access to records instead of actual on-site inspection," said the source. With CISMoA, US wants to enhance the ‘interoperability’ of its forces with the Indian ones, as also ensure secrecy of its C4ISR (command, control, communications, computer, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) systems. India has now virtually finalised its counter-draft on CISMoA, with inputs from Army, IAF, Navy and the integrated defence staff being incorporated into it. One aim is to protect against the possibility of any American software creeping into Indian C4ISR systems. While EUVA and CISMoA are in the pipeline now, the Left pressure on the UPA has made it abandon the LSA as of now. CPM leader Prakash Karat, incidentally, has described LSA as "far more dangerous than the civil nuclear deal" in its implications since the Left claims it will give the US access to Indian military bases.